Veterans

From my grandfather who served in World War I, to my brother who served in the Air Force, to my nephew who has just finished is fourth tour of duty in Iraq, I have seen first hand the pride of veterans, and the destructive toll war takes on them.

Our troops make a tremendous sacrifice to protect our country.  It is our responsibility to ensure that they are afforded the necessary care and funding when they return home.

Support for our nation's troops must be about more than rhetoric.

I believe it is essential that we invest in programs that will help veterans when they return from battle and continue to need medical treatment.

We must adequately fund VA hospitals so that they can provide such assistance to both recent and longtime veterans.

Additionally, we must increase health care funding for veterans' and their families.

My opponent, Phil English, has had a chance to show his support for veterans on numerous occasions.  He has come up short far too often.  He voted to cut veterans' health care programs in 2005 over the course of five years, and voted against a Democratic budget in 2007 that included a historic $6.7 billion increase to veterans' programs.

It is high time we did more than say we support our troops; we must provide them with programs and support to make a true difference in their lives.